Category "Fashion Business"

Climate change, global warming, plastic in our oceans, these are all real threats that have not just Millennials and Generation Zers worried, but should be a concern for people of all ages. As Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s “Green New Deal” is receiving plenty of publicity, we as a design community must realize that we are among the top polluters of our planet, actually, according to Ethical Unicorn, we rank #5. Not a number that we should be proud. So, what can we do as an industry to lower our ranking? Who are the brands who are leading the way?

Well, while there are literally thousands of fashion brands and companies around the world, there are not as many as there should be in our industry moving towards sustainability and who are consciously making an effort to reduce waste and pollution that our industry causes.

We’d like to give a shout-out to two ‘green’ advocates, Stella McCartney and Christopher Raeburn. These designers were among the ten fashion companies that have recently received the inaugural CO10 Leadership Award, an award that recognizes companies that have set down a pathway towards sustainability.

Christopher Raeburn fitting a model in one of his looks. (Photo Courtesy of WWD)

The award is presented by Common Objective, a network that connects more than 10,000 professionals in the fashion, retail and textile industries that share knowledge and best sustainability practices. Other companies that were honored were, Osklen, Bottletop, Indigenous, Outland Denim, Mayamiko, Sonica Sarna Design, Ethical Apparel Africa and The Rajlakshmi Cotton Mills.

“The industry has seen an incredible amount of traction over the past year, from increased consumer demand and government engagement, to the abundance of new entrants that focus on sustainability,” said Harold Tillman, former chairman of the British Fashion Council. The overall CO Leadership Awards are given to fashion brands that champion innovation in sustainability.

On December 10, 2018, Stella McCartney launched a program during the Katowice Climate Change Conference in Poland, which addressed various issues in the fashion industry, such as pollution, deforestation, low carbon production methods, and toxicity in products. Another goal for McCartney is to create awareness among students and designers that there are more environmentally-friendly ways to create collections. Today, more than ever, customers are aware and looking to purchase from brands that are focused on sustainability.

While the majority of the population would love to purchase clothing that is environmentally-friendly, let’s face it, many cannot afford Stella McCartney’s hefty price point. But environmentalists will be happy to hear that everyone’s favorite closet staple, denim, is helping to lead the way towards sustainability.

Denim is one of the most popular fashion items around the world, but the mass production of this wardrobe staple has turned into an environmental nightmare. Remember the footage from China when a river turned blue from a nearby denim factory? Clearly denim dyes and water consumption are both harmful to the environment. However, today, the industry is searching for ways to help clean up the process and build a more sustainable supply chain. The denim industry is slowly joining together to create an ecosystem focused on sustainability practices.

Denim dyes damage the environment (Photo Courtesy of Forbes)

This past February at the Première Vision Textile Trade Show in Paris, a group of experts from the denim world gathered together for a panel hosted by Isko, a leading Turkish denim mill. The topic… the “Unlimited Possibilities of Responsible Denim.” Panelists included: Ebru Ozkucuk Guler (CSR executive at Isko), Miles Johnson (designer at Stan Ray denim and and previously at Patagonia and Levi Strauss & Co.), Rachel Pearce (director of denim consultancy firm Denimhand) and François Girbaud (owner Marithé + François Girbaud).

Consumers today are intelligent. They want more transparency about the clothing and products they are purchasing. According to Miles Johnson, “it is high time, with all the confusion over certification, for governments to start implementing standards.”

The panel was in agreement that the idea of phasing out cotton was not realistic, but embracing new approaches to the cotton supply chain and implementing dye and waste management practices are vital for the industry’s survival.

Here’s what the panelists said:

“We’re not going to stop doing cotton jeans, so let’s just do it better. But you have to have a big idea for 25 years down the road that everyone signs up for, and then we can all start trekking toward the same spot. Unfortunately we’re not there yet, and it’s all still a bit scattered,” Johnson said. Adding that “Cotton now has a bad name, like plastic. If people hear plastic now they go, ‘Ooh, bad.’ It’s not bad, the world just isn’t set up so that we can handle recycling, because we haven’t invested in waste disposal, so we’re not catching plastic at the end and turning it back into fiber.”

Pearce added, “We can grow cotton better, we can be more responsible with cotton, but our biggest enemy is the amount that’s going to landfill, to waste. But the cotton that’s going to landfill, it’s going to biodegrade; it’s the polyester we should be worried about, it currently stays in our environment for up to 120 years before breaking down.”

“We are in an incredibly wasteful industry, [but] I do commend everyone in the denim industry because at least we’re a step ahead of the sportswear industry,” concluded Johnson. “People are having these conversations a lot more in denim than they are in anything else.”

Blue + Denim practices denim sustainability. (Photo Courtesy of WWD)

Here are some possible solutions:

Case in point, this past October in Amsterdam at the Kingpins Fair Trade Show, sustainability in denim was a key issue being tackled by experts. Posters detailing water-saving processes, potassium permanganate-free finishes and recycled fabrics were in front of most stands, and they were easy to spot from afar thanks to their symbolic green and blue hues.

M&J Group, a Bangladesh-based manufacturer, added green tags to each garment, that labeled the level of water, gas or chemicals used for the conception of each denim piece. Meanwhile, at Global Denim, the manufacturer promoted EcoloJean technology. Their posters illustrated a regular pair of jeans next to a pile of water bottles, explaining that it takes 20 liters of water to dye a single pair of jeans. The EcoloJean technology, said the poster, boasts zero water discharging.

Another big initiative in going green is fabric made from recycled plastic bottles. “We’ve just sourced a fabric called Repreve, made from recycled plastic bottles,” said Tara Jessop, who was attending with Rebekah Hough, a fellow designer at Fundamental, a British denim manufacturer that counts the Arcadia group among its clients. “We’ve just sourced a fabric called Repreve, made from recycled plastic bottles,” said Tara Jessop, who was attending with Rebekah Hough, a fellow designer at Fundamental, a British denim manufacturer that counts the Arcadia group among its clients. “We keep seeing the green plastic bottle tags on every stand. They are an amazing marketing tool; they help the customer understand the process,” she added.

(Photo courtesy Reprove.com)

(Photo courtesy Reprove.com)

Thankfully, more affordable denim mills are now taking steps towards sustainability. “We’ve been going round to each stand to ask them what they’ve been doing from a sustainable angle,” said Lee women’s designer Natasha Goforth, who added that the brand was looking to make its carryover fabrics more sustainable. “But we’re looking at every single element: fabrics, trims, finishes. It’s not just about the sustainability of the fabric itself, but rather how we can bring in more elements of sustainability to our brand,” she added.

Australian’s Outland Denim is facing challenges managing sudden rapid growth due to the brands ethical focus, The brands founder James Bartle stated “Integrity is everything to us as a business. The goal is to be a big part of changing the fashion industry for good. Our strategy is to be product-focused, to not be a charity and to create a genuinely sustainable business model that changes people’s lives and the environment at the same time.”

Outland Denim (Commercial Photography Cambodia)

ABLE Denim has adapted to sustainability practices. (Photo Courtesy of WWD)

TO ALL OF OUR UOF DESIGNERS AND MANUFACTURERS – HOW ARE YOU MAKING A DIFFERENCE TO BECOME MORE SUSTAINABLE? WE’D LOVE TO FEATURE YOU IN OUR BLOG. LET US KNOW

Priyanka Chopra Jonas in a dress designed by Indian fashion designer Sabyasachi Mukherji (Courtesy: Vogue.com)

Well, 2018 went out with a bang. A number of celebrities tied the knot at the end of the year, but the biggest celebrity wedding of all, according to Us Weekly, was that of Nick Jonas (former Jonas Brother) and Indian actress Priyanka Chopra (former Miss World 2000). Events leading up to the wedding were absolute spectacles and their colorful wedding photos were shared all over social media. The pair said their “I do’s” at the Umaid Bhawan Palace in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, and the events literally sparked a new interest in Indian culture and fashion.

Priyanka Chopra Jonas in Sabyasachi and kalire by Mrinalini Chandra for the wedding (Courtesy of Vogue.com)

Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas’s combo Western/traditional Punjabi wedding was complete with a chooda and kalire ceremony. Held one after the other on the morning of the wedding day at the bride’s place, beautiful red and white chooda (bangles) and the beautiful golden accessories that hang on them, famously known askalire, were custom-made by Mrinalini Chandra. For the Christian wedding, Chopra wore a white modest gown created by Ralph Lauren—not a common choice for an Indian bride, but the gown had plenty of exquisite details. According to RL Mag, Ralph Lauren’s official internal publication, “At Priyanka’s request, eight special words and phrases were incorporated into the embroidery pattern of the coat: “Hope” and “Compassion,” a Hindu mantra “Om Namaha Shivay,” and “December 1, 2018,” the date of the ceremony. The placement of the groom’s full name, Nicholas Jerry Jonas, on the front of the coat, was mirrored on the back with the names of her parents. (A piece of lace from Nick’s mother’s own wedding dress was sewn into the pattern) and the word “Family” scrolled down the right sleeve, where Priyanka has a wrist tattoo reading “Daddy’s Lil Girl…” And finally, just over her heart, the word “Love” was stitched in ivory thread.”

The Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI), a not-for-profit organization, is the apex body of fashion design in India. It is represented by over 400 members and was created to promote, nurture and represent the most incredible talents in the country. Its prime objective is to propagate the business of fashion in India in the form of coveted fashion weeks. As part of its initiatives, the FDCI’s calendar of events include the annual prêt week for women and menswear for Autumn/Winter and Spring/Summer, the India Fashion Week and the yearly luxurious offering, the India Couture Week. India Fashion Week is a bi-annual fashion week organized and promoted by the Fashion Design Council of India. It was sponsored by Wills Lifestyle from 2006-2014 before Amazon became and continues to be its sponsor.

Lakmé Fashion Week (LFW) has earned renown as one of India’s most prestigious fashion shows, which takes place twice a year, with the Summer/Resort show in the early months of the year, and the Winter/Festive show in August. Run through a collaborative effort between cosmetic brand Lakmé and IMG Reliance Ltd, which has made a name for itself in fashion, and entertainment marketing and management, the fashion show was conceived to allow Indian fashion to gain a foothold in the global fashion industry.

Over the past few years, the fashion scene in India has finally been receiving global recognition. According to an article in WWD, published on Sept. 3, 2018, India’s Lakmé Fashion Week has been rapidly growing with sponsorship up 40 percent, according to Jaspreet Chandok, vice president and head of fashion at IMG Reliance. “This season is going to be the highest amount of sponsorship the LFW has had, having grown consistently for the last four seasons.” While individual designers are finding sponsors, “the sponsors that are coming directly through fashion week, because of the large platform where multiple conversations can happen,” Chandok observed.

INDIAN DESIGNERS: CLASSICS WITH A TWIST

Here are a few of the best looks from India’s Lakmé Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2018:

THE DENIM SARI

Diksha Khanna’s runway show (Courtesy: Sagar Ahuji)

East meets West as the sari enters the 21st century. This edgy, distressed denim sari was created by Diksha Khanna, an alumni of National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Delhi and University of Leeds, UK. Diksha has worked internationally with several design houses before shifting her base to India. She is known for fine needlepoint embroideries on handloom linens, rugged, hand-distressed scrap denim pieces and languid drapes in combination with structured tailoring.

THE DHOTI SARI

Shivan & Narresh’s runway show (Courtesy: Sagar Ahuji)

The traditional dhoti gets a sultry sari makeover by Shivan & Narresh, advocates of the high-flying, party-hopping lifestyle. Shivan Bhatia and Narresh Kukreja were known as the first, and so far the only, beachwear designers in India, when they introduced their innovative Bikini Sarees. Their signature Bikini Sarees are in vogue these days and many actresses like Kareena Kapoor, Maliaka Arora Khan and Bipasha Basu have been seen dazzling in them on the red carpet. Their global clientele includes Nicki Minaj, Dita Von Tesse, Fergie, Padma Lakshmi and Selita Banks. Both designers are alumni of National Institute of Fashion Technology, where they met and combined their creativity to form an invincible team for the designing competitions. Their efforts earned them a scholarship in 2006 after winning Mittelmoda International Beachwear Award in Bali. The Shivan and Narresh 2014 summer collection featured cut out sleek gowns and bold knee length dresses, which were later adorned by actress Lisa Haydon and Priyanka Chopra, making their dresses a cool alternative to conventional cocktail dresses.

NEHRU SLEEVELESS VEST

Gaurav Jai Gupta’s runway show for Akaaro (Courtesy: Sagar Ahhuji)

Sustainable fashion designer Gaurav Jai Gupta for Akaaro (meaning the alphabet ‘A’ in sanskrit), reinvents the classic Nehru vest by oversizing and elongating it. He updates the look by substituting a dress over slim pants instead of the traditional Indian kurta over churidar pants. Trained as a fashion and textile designer from Chelsea College of Art and Design London and National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) New Delhi, Gaurav started his company in 2010 and became the first Indian designer to be commissioned by The Woolmark Company to launch the 2014 Cool Wool Menswear collection for Raymonds in India.

INDIAN EMBROIDERY REIMAGINED

Aneeth Arora for Péro (Courtesy: Sagar Ahuja)

Aneeth Arora holds a diploma in paper technology and started out making paper clothing. Her company Péro (means ‘to wear’ in Marwari) launched in 2009. She has since won numerous awards, such as the Marie Claire for Eco Fashion in 2010, Young Creative Fashion Entrepreneur in 2011, and Vogue India’s first-ever Fashion Fund Award, which inevitably turned her into quite a hot seller in the Indian fashion industry.

THE CHINTZ TRENCH

Abraham & Thakore’s runway show (Courtesy: Sagar Ahuja)

Known as the ‘quiet revolutionaries of Indian fashion,’ David Abraham and Rakesh Thakore (graduates of the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad) along with Kevin Nigli, launched their label, Abraham & Thakore (A&T), in 1992. Their collections cater to the working urban Indian woman who prefers fashion that draws on tradition.

THE SHIMMERY PANTSUIT – INDIAN STYLE

Namrata Joshipura’s runway show (Courtesy: Sagar Ahuja)

In an era of female empowerment, it’s no surprise that the pantsuit continues its reign. Here Namrata Joshipura’s millennial pink version is the perfect antidote to the LBD (slang for little black dress). Joshipura, a NIFT graduate, started her company in 1996. She fuses contemporary silhouettes with modern interpretations of artisanal embellishments. Internationally her clothes are sold at Bon Marche (Paris), Sauce (Dubai), American Rag (Los Angeles) and Beams (Japan), and she spends her time between New York and New Delhi.

THE VELVET PUFFER

Siddartha Tytler’s runway show (Courtesy: Sagar Ahija)

Delhi-based Siddartha Tytler graduated from St. Columba’s in 1997 and spent a year at the National Institute of Fashion Technology before moving on to the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT). In 2002, after his return to India, he had his first show at the Hyatt Regency in New Delhi. Luscious velvet is a winter favorite. Here the traditionally regal fabric gets a youthful transformation in Siddartha Tytler’s crimson velvet puffer jacket.

COLOR-BLOCKING

Kanika Goyal’s runway show (Courtesy: Sagar Ahuja)

Kanika Goyal has a knack for creating abstract print dresses in clashing hues. Born in Chandigarh, Kanika graduated from the National Institute of Technology and continued her studies at Parsons. She showcased her ground-breaking “Bio:Sonic” collection in 2015 at Lakmé Fashion Week and continues to refine modern Indian fashion on the global stage.

MAKE A STATEMENT

Nitin Bal Chauhan’s runway show (Courtesy: Sagar Ahuja)

Nitin Bal Chauhan, known for his label Bhootsavar, aims to bring out the dark side of human nature. As an artist he studies society closely and finds a way to deliver a message through his work. His last runway collection conveyed a strong political message on behalf of the displaced refugees all around the world.

GDP Growth Projection for Asia, 2018 (Source World Bank, 2017)

As India’s economy continues to grow, the country is becoming a key player in the fashion world. According to BOF: State of Fashion 2019 – an overall benchmark of the industry comprised from data gathered by McKinsey Global Fashion Index (MGFI) – “India is increasingly a focal point for the fashion industry, reflecting a rapidly growing middle-class and increasingly powerful manufacturing sector. These, together with strong economic fundamentals and growing tech-savvy, make India too important for international brands to ignore.”

According to the study, “economic expansion is happening across Asia, but we expect that 2019 will be the year in which India will take center stage. The country is being propelled by strong macroeconomic tailwinds and is predicted to grow 8 percent a year between 2018 and 2022. The Indian middle-class is forecast to expand at 19.4 percent a year over the same period, outpacing China, Mexico and Brazil. As a result, India is set to move from being an increasingly important sourcing hub to being one of the most attractive consumer markets outside the Western world. India’s apparel market will be worth $59.3 billion in 2022, making it the sixth-largest in the world, and comparable to the UK ($65 billion) and Germany ($63.1 billion), according to data from McKinsey’s FashionScope. The aggregate income of the addressable population (individuals with over $9,500 in annual income) is expected to triple between now and 2025. According to Sanjay Kapoor, founder of Genesis Luxury, an Indian luxury retail conglomerate, higher incomes are likely to create a whole new class of consumer: “We are moving on towards the ‘gold collar’ worker. It’s a term that defines the well paid, highly paid professionals, who are happy to look good, happy to feel good and are expanding the consumption of today.” Given these dynamics, it is little surprise that more than 300 international fashion brands are expected to open stores in India in the next two years. “

The Indian market offers great promise. Do you think it will overtake the U.S. and China as the next big global fashion opportunity?

It’s the most wonderful time of the year…..the holiday season is a magical time when joyful cheer is celebrated and generosity for others is spread throughout the world. No matter what your religious beliefs, there is no denying that this season is filled with hope for a better tomorrow. The holidays are also an opportunity for retailers and brands to end the year with high profit margins, as consumers shop for the perfect gifts family and friends.

The holiday season seems to be getting earlier and earlier. This year many retailers even officially kicked off the season by staying open on Thanksgiving! “Black Friday,” which is a public holiday in more than 20 states, presumably got it’s name from one of two theories: that the wheels of vehicles in heavy shopping traffic on the day after Thanksgiving Day left many black markings on the road surface. The other theory is that the term Black Friday comes from an old way of recording business accounts. Losses were recorded in red ink and profits in black ink. Many businesses, particularly small businesses, started making profits before Christmas especially on the Friday after Thanksgiving. “Cyber Monday” on the other hand, was first used in 2005 by the National Retail Federation (NRF), which needed a name for the flurry of online sales the Monday after Thanksgiving, since online merchants wanted the money that brick-and-mortar stores were making on Black Friday.

But with today’s retail market being so saturated, and online shopping being so competitive, how do traditional brick-and-mortar retailers compete? The answer is simple, major department stores and retailers around the world lure customers in with their brilliant, spare-no-expense race for an exuberant gasp… holiday display windows, that have become a destination tourist attraction and in many cases a family tradition around the world!

Each store has their own unique style when it comes to their holiday windows. Macy’s and Lord & Taylor are known for their classic displays that delight Christmas shoppers and their children. Barneys New York is known for innovative and provocative displays, while Bergdorf Goodman and Saks Fifth Avenue are known for over-the top glitz. No matter what, these windows attract costumers, something that an eCommerce site can’t do.

The tradition of holiday window displays dates back to the Industrial Revolution, when in the late 1800s plate glass became readily available and allowed shop owners to build large, full length storefront windows to display merchandise. This was the birth of window shopping as we know it today.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise, but one of the first major holiday window displays was created by the Macy’s New York store in 1874, featuring a collection of porcelain dolls and scenes from Harriet Beecher Stowe’s book, Uncle Tom’s Cabin.

Children at the Macy’s toy window, ca. 1910 via The Library of Congress

In the early 1900s major retailers across the U.S. began competing with each other. Store owners and managers used window displays to lure window shoppers into their stores, and holiday displays became more colorful and creative. By 1937, department store owner, specifically Lord & Taylor, decorated their windows with gilded bells that swung in sync with the sounds of recorded bells. This was a turning point for retailers, as each began to transition their holiday windows into magical fantasy experiences, as opposed to just showcasing merchandise.

“Bell Windows” at Lord & Taylor, 1937 via MCNY

From that point on, year after year, competition among major brick-and-mortar retailers intensifies, as online shopping increases. But it’s this magical time of year that consumers are lured into stores to view these masterful works of art. The grander and more innovative the display, the more attention it receives and let’s face it…the more likes on social media is always a good thing!

Here is a fantastical journey of holiday window displays from across the globe. Each retailer had a clear and strategic message to attract their customers.

Printemps Windows 2018 in Paris (Courtesy Photo)

At Printemps, in Paris, Jules and Violette, the retailer’s recurring holiday mascots, are sent on a hunt for Santa Claus visiting the desert, Antarctica, the bottom of the sea, and mushroom-and flower-covered terrain with flapping butterflies.

Macy’s Holiday Windows 2018 in NYC (Courtesy Photo)

At Macy’s Herald Square in Manhattan, a tale of friendship, family, adventure and teamwork unfolds as Sunny the Snowpal works to save Christmas, befriending a fox along the way.

Bloomingdale’s Holiday Windows 2018 in New York (Coutesy Photo)

Bloomingdale’s 59th Street flagship store in New York City was inspired by “The Grinch.”

Bergdorf Goodman’s Holiday Windows 2018 in NYC (Courtesy Photo)

Bergdorf Goodman’s windows in NYC are a sugar-filled delight with everything from a gingerbread cuckoo clock, whose timekeeper is prone to wander from her enormous chalet, to a peppermint-hued dream featuring a candy cane wizard.

Saks Fifth Avenue Holiday Windows 2018 in NYC (Courtesy Photo)

Saks Fifth Avenue’s NYC window portrays a fashionable shopper’s visit to the theater, where instead of watching the show, she dreams of the retailer in a whimsical fantasy.

Barneys Holiday Windows 2018 in NYC (courtesy Photo)

Barneys New York takes the penny to greater heights with its Making Change theme, presented by the Barneys New York Foundation. The campaign, in partnership with Save the Children, invites guests to create some currency during the holidays, including using the hashtag #centiments, which results in a $5 donation by the foundation to Save the Children for every post. Now that’s spreading holiday cheer!

Galeries Lafayette Windows 2018 in Paris (Courtesy Photo)

Galeries Lafayette in Paris envisions a “reverie with La fabrique des Rêves,” or manufacturer of dreams, featuring delightful characters imagined by children: furry dinosaurs and silly monsters in a playful and whimsical window is packed with toys and presents, plus seasonal pieces from the shop’s shoe and clothing collection.

Harvey Nichols in London Holiday Window (Courtesy Photo)

Harvey Nichols, London is celebrating the new Disney film Mary Poppins Returns by showcasing four costumes worn by the cast. In reference to the iconic character’s favorite mode of transport, gold and silver umbrellas also decorate the windows.

Harrods in London Holiday Window Display (Courtesy Photo)

Harrods in London serves up sweet treats in a festive celebration with oversized, mouthwatering desserts.

Liberty in London Holiday Window Display (Courtesy Photo)

Liberty London’s animal etchings on pillars and panels are a well-known part of the decor. The creatures appear in windows as two-dimensional black-and-white cutouts.

Selfridges in London Holiday Window Display (Courtesy Photo)

Selfridges’ “Santa on Tour” in London has St. Nick hitting the road and rocking designer created looks.

Mitsukoshi Holiday Windows 2018 in Tokyo (Courtesy Photo)

Mitsukoshi, located in Tokyo, mark the last Christmas of Japan’s Heisei period; the current emperor plans to abdicate in April, which will mark the beginning of a new period. Isetan creates a retro vision of the future featuring a rocking horse and snow globes cavorting with reindeer aided in flight by jet packs and Santa in a motorized sleigh.

At Harbour City, Hong Kong, shoppers who donate to the Hong Kong Blood Cancer Foundation can take a selfie with a giant video kaleidoscope where LED screen walls are filled with snowflakes, stars and rainbows.

Joyce Holiday Windows 2018 in Hong Kong (Courtesy Photo)

Joyce’s dramatic holiday décor in Asia is a cross between, “The Wizard of Oz” and “Stranger Things.” The outcome is an upside-down Emerald City topped by a right-side-up Indiana cabin. The cutting edge retailer also has a 50 foot Christmas tree suspended from its ceiling.

So tell us, which is your favorite Holiday window display?

For those of you still on the hunt for the perfect gift for that fav fashionista:

Retailers and designers alike are taking advantage of the hype that surrounds the newest, hottest drop – or a limited edition release of a product for a short run of time. Most often, one-off drops take place in brick and mortar locations and attract droves of brand fans and devotees.

And in a time when “on the ground” retailers are struggling to stay alive due to online competition, finding creative ways to bring shoppers in is critical.

Last September, Barneys put a drop event to the test when the retailer invited more than 80 brands to release limited-edition goods that could only be found at Barneys. But Barneys didn’t just stop at offering limited edition products by brands with impressive social media followings. The social media savvy retailer also tapped additional influencers—think well-known tattoo artists and DJs—to sweeten the draw for the audience Barneys was trying to attract into its doors.

Add a branded café and a t-shirt bar, and BAM! Drop history was made.

According to WWD, of the 12,000 people that showed up to The Drop @Barneys on Madison Avenue in NYC, half were current customers and the other half brand new customers. The event was held over one weekend and sales increased 35% from the previous year on Saturday and 9% on Sunday. Most importantly, 40% of attendees returned at a later date to make a purchase at Barneys.

The Drop @ Barneys was so successful, a second drop is planned for June 2 and 3 at the Beverly Hills store on the West Coast.

But what can emerging designers pick up from what more established designers are dropping?

Several ideas:

1. Use what you know to give the people what they want.

If you’re lacking Barney’s vast resources and connections, not to worry. You can take a lesson from Barneys “mega drop,” and use your knowledge of your own brand and product success to create a “mini drop.” Take a hard look at your best sellers or perhaps your garments/accessories/items that get the most attention on social media.

In other words, many designers recreated their biggest sellers for The Drop @ Barneys, and the crowd flocked to the event. No need to make more work for yourself or reinvent an already popular wheel.

Reincarnate your best seller with a slight twist or alteration in a limited edition run. Set up shop at a local market, arrange for a pop up event at a local boutique or permits permitting, sell on a corner in a shopping area that caters to your audience. Blast your social media following a special date/time and look forward to existing fans of your brand bringing their friends for a peek at your drop!

2. Get creative—think of the long game.

This tip takes a shift in thinking. When your resources are limited, it can be hard to think about putting your time and energy into a “hype” event that may not garner too many sales. However, if you are in it for the long haul as a designer and business person, giving some focus to “getting your name out there” can pay off down the road.

Barneys didn’t just focus on garment sales during their first drop event, they thought beyond sales to provide an environment that would appeal to the demographic they hope to turn into buying customers in the future.

As an emerging designer, consider organizing a panel about fashion, design or owning your own business and invite your local community. Try offering to style customers at a local boutique for one afternoon a week. Seek out networking events in your area—offer to speak, help organize or provide a branded item for attendees’ swag bags.

3. Form like-minded partnerships.

Just like Barneys researched DJs, tattoo artists and other influencers that their desired audience might want to take selfies with, so can you.

Who do you follow and admire on Instagram? How might you partner with them, eventually turning their fans on to your brand? Can you swap a post for a post and somehow bring your like-minded followers together?

Think about your customer’s day, week, month and year. Sure, they might wake up and put on one of your accessories, but considering their 24/7 can give you great insight into who your beneficial partners might be. If your customer spends her weekends at the club, you might consider hosting a party in exchange for a pop up shop during the club’s off hours.

If you design golf shirts, networking with county clubs and offering a unique “meet the designer” buying experience for members during busy brunch times might be an option.

If sustainability is part of your design philosophy, try partnering with a recycling facility or donation organization, giving your customers (and new customers who will be appreciative of your efforts) a literal Drop Off the Old, Shop the New opportunity.

What are other ways you have attracted new customers?

We’d love to hear—and so would our students and followers. Maybe we can get creative and form a like-minded partnership? Drop your comments below.

Millennials have become the generation of social media. Life doesn’t happen unless it’s on Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat and the many other digital platforms embraced by today’s society. So naturally, fashion and beauty brands have been shelling out big bucks to engage influencers with the expectation that their followers buy the products that they’re peddling.

Bots have become one of the Internet’s ‘Most Wanted’ (Courtesy of WWD.Com)

But now, in an era that created ‘Fake News’, the fashion and beauty world have come to a realization….that many of these so called influencers are not influencers at all, that is, they have ‘fake followers.’

Ryan Babenzien of Greats (Courtesy of WWD.Com)

Greats, the premiere sneaker brand, was about to pay an Influencer marketing agency with 10.5 million followers a mid, six-figure sum for a long-term partnership. The influencer, who Gates declined to name, was set to design a capsule collection of woman’s footwear, but the deal never went through. According to a WWD article published on Feb. 13, 2018, Ryan Babenzien, founder and chief executive officer of Greats, discovered that the majority of the influencer’s followers were fake. “In doing due diligence, to get a better understanding of this person’s metrics — largely to make sure her followers aligned with the brand’s target audience — Babenzien was supplied with screenshots containing details about her Facebook and Instagram followings. When we mapped that over the world, we found that it was mathematically impossible for her to be as popular as she was and not have any of the 10 major cities in the 10 major countries be in her top 10 follower cities. It was impossible, Babenzien said. I don’t know if they paid for followers or if they are bots, but there wasn’t the alignment she had in followers from the cities that she was allegedly popular in.”

Fashion, beauty and retail brands around the globe have been allotting sizeable portions of their advertising budgets to influencers to create content for them. But as the industry studies influencers and their followers, they are beginning to understand that many of these numbers are fake. In many cases, inflated follower counts that result in campaigns that generate little return on investment.

According to a WWD article published on Feb. 13, 1018, “The fashion and beauty industries — as well marketing firms, public relations agencies and influencers who have come by their followings honestly — are up in arms about the matter, which they claim is tantamount to stealing from the brands paying them based on false information. Unfortunately, many firms discover this too late and only after shelling out tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars. Or even worse, many are worried that dishonest content creators and bloggers will ruin it for the rest of the group by giving influencer marketing a bad rap. This means that brands, disappointed when campaigns underperform because influencers fail to generate the traction that someone with a following of their size is expected to, will begin to tighten their belts.”

Chiara Ferragni of The Blond Salad is the face of Pantene, she is a true influencer who has also created her own fashion label.

Brands must be savvy and investigate the influencers they chose to work with. For example, there may be some people who are really good at creating brand awareness, and maybe they have a ton of followers, but the exchange isn’t high, but then there may be smaller influencers who are able to push a lot of sales. So, it is important for brands to know who they are collaborating with and who their followers are. For example, Benefit Cosmetics has made some of the most significant investments in influencers across the entire beauty industry — including spending a reported $10 million on influencer initiatives to support its BadGal Bang Volumizing Mascara launch this month, according to a WWD article published on Feb. 13, 1018. “If Benefit gets credible info on an influencer with a lot of fake followers, we simply stop working with them, Toto Haba, senior vice president global digital at Benefit, told WWD.”

So, how can a fashion, beauty or retail brand identify fake followers? Well there are a few paid tools that can estimate the percentage of fake followers on an account, including InfluencerDB, SocialBakers, Social Audit Pro and SocialBlade. Therefore, before you shell out a vast amount of your advertising budget on an influencer, don’t forget to do your homework and work with these tools to help identify fake followers.

Amidst the recent Facebook scandal, where millions of people’s identity and privacy were compromised and used to turn several global political elections, and with talk now of government regulation, how long will it take for more transparency on social media when it comes to fake influencers? We are truly living in the 21st century’s version of the Wild West. Bring on the sheriff and the cavalry!

So tell us, who is your favorite influencer? Do you think that social media should be regulated?

Partly because I didn’t want to disappoint all of the fans that were inspired by my story on Fashion Star with the dirty production details following the excitement of the show.

And partly because I was embarrassed for a long time about how naive I was with regards to production in the actual world of fashion—which is nothing like the glitz and glamor of the finished products you see on TV. Read More

Digital natives, who post, snap and tweet to their hundreds of thousands or even millions of followers — who then rush out and buy the products that these Influencers recommend. Women (and men) no longer look to fashion and beauty magazines for inspiration and ideas. In today’s digital age, those titles — and their editors — are quickly becoming a thing of the past, not only to consumers (latest casualty, Teen Vogue) but to brands themselves, who are now relying on these ‘brand ambassadors’ who are disrupting and replacing advertising and marketing ‘agencies’.

So why not celebrate these fashion and beauty influencers!

Well on Nov. 2, Revolve, the trendy mega-retailer who collaborates and works with Influencers daily, has hosted its first ever Revolve Awards Show. Revolve has successfully built its business on influencer marketing and are now celebrating and awarding their partners. It was a fun-filled and fashionably bold night.

The glamourous evening took place at Hollywood’s Dream Hotel and was hosted by E!’s Terrence Jenkins. Attendees ranged from Chrissy Teigen, and Nicole Richie to Hailey Baldwin and plenty of Instagram stars. The ceremony focused on influencer-centric categories – such as, YouTube Channel of the Year, Best Influencer Brand, BFFs of the Year, Best Beauty Influencer, Brand of the Year, #COUPLEGOALS of the Year and Influencer of the Year. Half of the winners were chosen by a trusted panel of industry experts and fans had the opportunity to cast their votes as well.

Chrissy Teigen (Photo courtesy of Revolve)

Revolve, a multi-brand online shopping retailer based in Los Angeles, was one of the first to identify bloggers as the new voice of fashion. Bloggers, Vloggers, Influencers and Insta-stars, have the ability to catapult a fashion or beauty label to the masses. These fashion crusaders have gained the trust of their audience base because they speak and dress in a way that most young women aspire and can relate and to, in contrast to traditional global fashion scene which is often perceived as intimidating and snobby. “We’ve been blogger -believers since 2009,” Revolve Chief Brand Officer, Raissa Gerona, said at the brunch. “They speak to our customers in a really authentic way that’s really meaningful,” co-founder and co-CEO Michael Mente told Fashionista.Com.

“We’re millennials too, so we automatically got it,” Gerona told Fashionista.com of the blogger boom. “Instead of being like, why are you writing about your outfit? It’s like, cool, you’re telling me what you’re wearing on your blog! I feel like I can get someone else’s perspective that I can trust. It’s not like Anna Wintour, who I’m never ever going to meet, you know?” It’s the difference between being talked down to – and talking with your friends.

On an earlier Instagram post (prior to the event), Revolve stated “We are nominating and honoring the best in the biz, our Influencers, our top selling brands and our ambassadors, for whom we wouldn’t be here without. And you, our followers and customers, are the core of everything we’ve achieved and hustle for. Thank you everyone who’s ever believed in us and supported us from the beginning.”

And the investment in Influencers is paying off. According to an article published by WWD in October, Revolve in on track to do over $1 billion in sales this year, attributing 70 percent of that sum to the might of the e-tailer’s influencers, a global network of 5,000 content creators.

Revolve’s Influencer of the Year, was the biggest award of the night and of course, the catagorie was filled with a talented and beautiful range of eight nominees: Aimee Song, Chiara Ferragni, Camila Coelho, Negin Mirsalehi, Rocky Barnes, Julie Sariñana, Tash Oakley, and Arielle Charnas. But of course, there can only be one winner. So the ultra-stylish Negin Mirsalehi took home the prize. The trend-setter called her boyfriend Maurits Stibbe to the stage to help her accept the award, and they were adorable. According to Negin Mirsalehi in an interview with Fashionista.Com, “They were the first ones to understand from the Influencer’s perspective. They see that Influencers are more than just people who take pictures all the time,”noting the company’s willingness to collaborate and brainstorm with Influencers to create maximum benefit for both parties. Currently Mirsalehi has 206K views on YouTube and 4.3M followers on Instagram. Now that’s a massive ‘influence’, don’t you think?

Below is a list of the Revolve Award Winners:

Influencer of the Year: Negin Mirsalehi

Best Beauty Influencer: Jenn Im

YouTube Channel of the Year: Camila Coelho

BFFs of the Year: Aimee Song & Camila Coelho

#CoupleGoals of the Year: Negin Mirsalehi & Maurits Stibbe

Best Influencer Brand: Shop Sincerely Jules by Julie Sariñana

Brand of the Year: For Love & Lemons

Best Activewear Brand: Alo Yoga

Best Beauty Brand: Ouai

Best Swimwear Brand: Beach Riot

Innovator of the Year: Eva Chen

Artist of the Year: Rae Sremmurd

Icon of the Year: Nicole Richie

Woman of the Year: Chrissy Teigen

Muse of the Year: Shay Mitchell

Whether you follow these influencers religiously, or you find them to be self-promoting, label-whoring, fame-seeking pretty young things, it is undeniable that Revolve has distinguished itself with a powerful marketing tactic that is leaps and bounds ahead of the rest of the fashion industry. Many Influencers even have their own hashtags, such as Chiara Ferragni’s famous #TheBlondSaladGoesTo…. Love it or hate it, the fashion industry needs to pay attention to these teens and young adults, for the rise of social media is just the beginning.

Buying Luxury Without Breaking The Bank

Millennials are the future of luxury – from fashion and accessories to homes and cars – they are the target of every relevant brand. Millennials are free-thinking, they are an individualistic generation that are over 80 million strong.

According to WWD’s Think Tank segment published on April 25, 2016, “By 2035, Millennials will have the potential to become the largest spending generation in history, according to the white paper, “Five Luxe Trends for 2015” by marketing expert Pam Danziger. Millennials’ influence will be felt by 2020 as the oldest Millennials (let’s call them “Millennial+”) are beginning to enter their peak earning years and will have disposable income for luxury experiences. We can expect this shift to continue as more Millennials become Millennial+.”

Kendall Jenner and Gigi Hadid (Courtesy of Getty)

Today, Kendall Jenner, Cara Delevingne, and Gigi Hadid are on top of the pop culture world; they are influential fashion icons and are featured in all the hottest runway shows and campaigns. These young women have influence over Millennials, and they are drawing them into luxury brands. So which brands are winning them over? How can they afford to splurge on such high end items?

Although luxury brands may not be so transparent when it comes to what is actually selling, thanks to the online resale market, shoppers can easily track what’s hot and what’s not (ref.: Drop Shipping Made Easy – Drop Ship Profitably With Drop Ship Lifestyle). No longer looked at with disdain, the pre-owned market is growing in both dollars and prevalence. According to the mid-year “State of Luxury Resale” report for The Real Real, one of the most popular resale sites, consumers have an insider glimpse into what people have been buying during the first half of the year.

Walk in Closet filled with designer shoes and bags (Courtesy of Pintrest)

Surprise, surprise! Gucci is the fourth best-selling brand on The Real Real (just behind Chanel, Hermès, and Louis Vuitton), riding its wave of success thanks to Alessandro Michele’s eclectic charm and the return of the logo mania trend. Gucci now has a 10 percent better sell-through rate than Céline; used loafers from the brand manage to sell for 80 percent of the original retail price. Footwear favorite Christian Louboutin ranks as the sixth best-selling brand on The Real Real, which makes sense because the site now says high-end shoes at the $500 range are selling faster than bags at the same price.

Gucci Spring 2016 (Courtesy of Purseblog.com)

According to the resale site, the accessory of the year has been the backpack; selling 40 percent better than other handbag categories and have seen the largest growth resale value.

Thanks to street-style darlings and Instagram stars, shoppers are splurging on Vetements, Saint Laurent, Self-Portrait, Rosie Assoulin, J.W. Anderson and Zimmerman, all of which saw triple-digit growth, because these young designers have such a strong and individual point of view. The Real Real’s buzziest new brands are Supreme and Off-White — their search rates surged a whopping 1,500 percent and 730 percent, respectively, over the last six months.

Chiara Ferragni in Vetements (Courtesy of TheBlondSalad.com)

Today’s millennials really understand value in a unique way from previous generations. According to Alexis Clarbour, director of pioneer luxury accessory consignment website Portero.com, her customers are now seeing beyond the original purchase and considering how the value of the item will hold up if they decide to resell it. They’re true luxury seekers — the average sale price on Portero, for example is $2,200, and its most popular brand is Hermès.

Portero Site Page

“For the same reason a consumer chooses to buy a certified pre-owned car, they also desire to purchase a certified pre-owned watch since it’s a smarter, more financially beneficial way of buying luxury,” said Hamilton Powell, founder of luxury vintage and pre-owned watch consignment site Crown & Caliber.

Vintage Rolex Watche (Courtesy of The Vintage Watch Company)

Consumers today are educated and thanks to the internet, research is at everyone’s fingertips; which may be one of the major factors for the growing resale business model. Customers can easily inform themselves about luxury products such as handbags, watches, shoes and clothes. Millennials search for a greater value for their dollar in the luxury marketplace.

While every brand from high end luxury to street brands are courting millennials, The Real Real states that in 2017, Gen Z — that is, ages 22 and younger — is the site’s fastest growing demographic, once again proving that when it comes to shopping, cool teens really know how to do it. Why buy luxury retail when you can buy it used for less?

What’s Going On With NY Fashion Week?

Labor Day weekend is upon us and that only means two things, summer is coming to an end and New York Fashion Week is literally around the corner.

Fashion is an industry that is rapidly changing and evolving, and now, New York Fashion Week is going through some major shake-ups. Last season, the NYFW calendar had a number of changes from several New York designers deciding to show in Los Angeles or Paris, to some designers leaving the schedule all together. Then let’s not even begin with all the confusion behind the see-now, buy-now schedules. Now the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) has strategically condensed the calendar, will this be enough to entice American designers to stay in NY?

Alexander Wang Fall 2017 Collection (Image courtesy of Vogue.com)

According to the new schedule, the Spring 2018 season will begin on Thursday, September 7 and end on Wednesday, September 13. The CFDA has shortened NYFW by one day – say goodbye to the second Thursday in the schedule. This will allow editors, bloggers and buyers a much needed gap day between New York and London shows – now they won’t have to miss the Marc Jacob’s show (he has closed out NYFW since 2014) Marc Jacobs will still be the closing act of NYFW, but he will now show on Wednesday evening at 6:00 PM. Kicking off the week will Calvin Klein and Tom Ford, with 10:00 AM and 7:00 PM shows, respectively.

Marc Jacobs Fall 2017 Collection (Image courtesy of Vogue.com)

Last season, two of New York’s most influential labels — Proenza Schouler and Rodarte — switched things up as they decided to head to the City of Lights to showcase their collections. A few others headed for sunny California (such as Tommy Hilfiger, Rachel Zoe and Rebecca Minkoff). Ahead of the Spring 2018 season, more NYFW regulars have announced their imminent departure.

Altuzarra is the latest to join the growing list of designers exiting the New York Fashion Week and is heading to Paris. “I was born and raised in Paris and the city holds a very deep personal significance for me. This has been a dream of mine since the very beginning and now the time feels right. I am honored to be invited by La Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode to show in my hometown of Paris,” said Joseph Altuzarra in a statement released by the brand.

Altuzarra Fall 2017 Collection (Image courtesy of Vogue.com)

Meanwhile, Tommy Hilfiger, who has built his empire on the Americana dream, is opting out of New York for the second season in a row and will debut his next collection with Gigi Hadid in London. Then, let’s not forget about brands like Opening Ceremony and Vetements who are veering away from traditional runway shows altogether.

Tommy Hilfiger and Gigi Hadid at the Fall 2016 show (Image courtesy of Forbes.com)

Narciso Rodriguez decided to opt out of the traditional NYFW runway show altogether. According to WWD, the brand is skipping a formal show this September and instead hosting private showroom appointments on the first official day of the NYFW calendar (September 6). Rodriguez’s usual time slot on the calendar conflicts with Ralph Lauren’s plan to stage his show in Bedford, New York this season—though that reportedly has nothing to do with the designer’s cancellation

Narciso Rodriguez Fall 2017 Collection (Image courtesy of Vogue.com)

Ralph Lauren will really send the fashion crowd in a tizzy as he decided to show his collection upstate New York. According to WWD, Lauren will stage his Fall 2017 see-now, buy-now show at his private garage located in Bedford, New York on September 12th at 7 PM. The garage houses Lauren’s personal automobile collection, which will serve as the backdrop to the runway. Ralph Lauren owns one of the most expensive car collections in the world, his’s rare automobiles include Ferraris, Bugattis and Bentleys which date back to the ’20s and ’30s. For the first time the designer will show his Ralph Lauren Purple Label menswear collection along with his womenswear collection. The show will reportedly be followed by a private and oh so chic formal dinner. It’s sure to be the invite of the season.

And if all these changes were not enough, it was also announced last month that Skylight Clarkson Square would no longer be the primary show location starting in 2018. New York Fashion Week has struggled to find a stable home since its departure from Bryant Park in 2010. Lincoln Center hosted the affair for five years (ending in 2015) but the neighborhood complained about all noise, traffic and the circus of what NYFW had become. After Lincoln Center, shows had two primary locations: Skylight Clarkson Square and Skylight Moynihan Station—though many designers have opted to show at alternative venues instead.

Clarkson Street Venue (Image courtesy of Racked.com)

“The official venue of New York Fashion Week is New York City. The Skylight properties will no longer be an event space, so for season six of NYFW: Men’s in January and New York Fashion Week in February, there will no longer be a home base and the shows will be “decentralized,” Steven Kolb, CEO of the CFDA, said in a statement.

Mark Beckham, CFDA’s VP of marketing, also noted the challenge of fostering fashion’s runway changes, “The entire fashion week landscape is going through tremendous evolution and we want to be sensitive to the needs of the designers and be cost-effective. So if a designer is creating an original film, perhaps they can look at a screening room. If they’re planning a casual presentation, maybe an amazing penthouse would be better.”

Currently, the CFDA is in the process of looking for a new show venue that could act as a replacement for the Skylight Clarkson locations.

So among all the shake-ups this season, one must ask, is it time for New York’s Mayor De Blasio and Governor Cuomo to step up to the plate and preserve New York as the Fashion Capital of the World? Let us hear your thoughts.